Towards an ecological metaphor for regenerative circular economies

Filippos K. Zisopoulos; Brian D. Fath; Bruno Meirelles de Oliveira; Susana Toboso-Chavero; Hugo D'Assenza-David; Vitor Miranda de Souza; Hao Huang; Şerban Scrieciu; O. Grant Clark; Dominik Noll; Simron Singh; Alexandros Stefanakis; Graham Boyd; Daan Schraven; Martin de Jong

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108545

Towards an ecological metaphor for regenerative circular economies

Filippos K. Zisopoulos, Brian D. Fath, Bruno Meirelles de Oliveira, Susana Toboso-Chavero, Hugo D'Assenza-David, Vitor Miranda de Souza, Hao Huang, Şerban Scrieciu, O. Grant Clark, Dominik Noll, Simron Singh, Alexandros Stefanakis, Graham Boyd, Daan Schraven, Martin de Jong^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

An ecological metaphor can enable transitions towards regenerative circular economies. Yet, this potential remains latent because its conceptual development, which is a prerequisite for its practical operationalization, is in its incipient phase and largely vague. To strengthen its epistemological underpinning, we propose a forward-looking interdisciplinary research agenda which brings together theories, ontological positions, analytical approaches, and strategies of action from ecological economics, panarchy theory, socio-metabolic research, process ecology, environ network theory, the constructal law, nature-based solutions, complexity economics, doughnut economics, regenerative economics, and ergodicity economics. The agenda facilitates the concentration, consolidation, and acceleration of theoretical and methodological innovation for the generation and accumulation of a diverse yet coherent body of knowledge on the interpretation of the process of regeneration and for illuminating the ways in which regenerative circular economies may function.

Original language	English
Article number	108545
Journal	Ecological Economics
Volume	231
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108545
Publication status	Published - May 2025

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Zisopoulos, F. K., Fath, B. D., de Oliveira, B. M., Toboso-Chavero, S., D'Assenza-David, H., de Souza, V. M., Huang, H., Scrieciu, Ş., Clark, O. G., Noll, D., Singh, S., Stefanakis, A., Boyd, G., Schraven, D., & de Jong, M. (2025). Towards an ecological metaphor for regenerative circular economies. Ecological Economics, 231, Article 108545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108545

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AU - de Souza, Vitor Miranda

AU - Huang, Hao

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Towards an ecological metaphor for regenerative circular economies

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